AISBT ReaderRom 5:12–14: Adam and death in Gen 2–5 (MT and LXX)
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Rom 5:12–14: Adam and death in Gen 2–5 (MT and LXX)

Says The command to הָאָדָם (ha'adam, 2:16) ends מוֹת תָּמוּת (mot tamut, "you will surely die," BSB). The infinitive absolute strengthens the Qal yiqtol (מוּת, BDB p. 559); Swete has θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε.

Says In 3:6 she gives to her husband: וַיֹּאכַל (vayyokhal, "and he ate it"); Swete has μετ’ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἔφαγον. Gen 3:19 ends כִּי־עָפָר אַתָּה וְאֶל־עָפָר תָּשׁוּב (ki-'afar attah ve'el-'afar tashuv, "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return"); Swete has ὅτι γῆ εἶ καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ.

Says Gen 5 ends Adam's life and his line's with וַיָּמֹת (vayyamot, "and he died"), eight times in 5:5–31, Enoch excepted (5:24). Swete has καὶ ἀπέθανεν each time.

Says אָדָם is "man, mankind" and the name Adam (BDB p. 9). In 2:7, with the article, it is formed from אֲדָמָה ('adamah, "ground"); in 5:5, a name. Swete has ἡ βίβλος γενέσεως ἀνθρώπων beside τὸν Ἀδάμ (5:1).

Implies Death is the penalty threatened in 2:17 and carried out in 3:19 and 5:5. Paul reads it so: διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ θάνατος (5:12).

Implies Through Adam's one trespass, sin, death, and condemnation came to all humanity (5:12, 15–19). The Hebrew fits: אָדָם names both Adam and humankind, and the death threatened him passes to his line.

Uncertain How that trespass reaches all. The lean is federal headship: Adam's guilt is imputed immediately (WCF 6.3, by reference). Realism holds that all sinned in Adam as one nature; mediate imputation, that guilt follows inherited corruption. Grounds and full treatment: note.language.Rom.5.12.eph-ho; note.exegetical.Rom.5.12-Rom.5.21.adam-and-christ.

Claims

  • SaysGen 2:16–17: the command to הָאָדָם ends מוֹת תָּמוּת (infinitive absolute + Qal yiqtol, BDB p. 559); LXX θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε.
  • SaysGen 3:6 וַיֹּאכַל (LXX μετ’ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἔφαγον); Gen 3:19 כִּי־עָפָר אַתָּה וְאֶל־עָפָר תָּשׁוּב (LXX ὅτι γῆ εἶ καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ).
  • SaysGen 5 ends Adam's life and his line's with וַיָּמֹת eight times (5:5–31; Enoch excepted, 5:24); LXX καὶ ἀπέθανεν each time.
  • Saysאָדָם is "man, mankind" and the name Adam (BDB p. 9): with the article beside אֲדָמָה in 2:7, a name in 5:5; LXX ἡ βίβλος γενέσεως ἀνθρώπων beside τὸν Ἀδάμ at 5:1.
  • ImpliesDeath is the penalty threatened in Gen 2:17 and carried out in 3:19 and 5:5, as Paul reads it in Rom 5:12.
  • ImpliesSin, death, and condemnation came to all humanity through Adam's one trespass (Rom 5:12, 15–19); אָדָם names both Adam and humankind, and the threatened death passes to his line.
  • UncertainHow Adam's trespass reaches all: lean federal headship with immediate imputation of Adam's guilt (WCF 6.3, by reference); alternatives realism and mediate imputation; grounds in note.language.Rom.5.12.eph-ho; full treatment in note.exegetical.Rom.5.12-Rom.5.21.adam-and-christ.

Citations

  • OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 2:16–17 (morph HVqa, HVqi2ms); 2:7; 3:6, 19; 5:1; 5:5 (morph HNp, HC/Vqw3ms), 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 24, 27, 31
  • BDB CC BY 4.0 s.v. mut (H4191), p. 559, entry m.be.aa; s.v. 'adam (H120), p. 9, entry a.bc.ab; s.v. 'adamah (H127), p. 9, entry a.bc.ac
  • LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 2:17; 3:6, 19; 5:1, 5–31 (apparatus p. 4: "φαγησθε] φαγη E"; p. 8 reads ἀπέθανεν at 5:11). LXX checked against Swete scan, vol. 1 (1909), pp. 4, 5, 7, 8, 9.
  • SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Rom 5:12
  • BSB public domain Gen 2:17; 3:6, 19
  • WCF public domain 6.3 (by reference; not quoted)
Sources OSHB CC BY 4.0 LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 BDB CC BY 4.0 BSB public domain Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0 WCF public domain

Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits

2026-10-30

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